BOSS DR-01S Rhythm Partner (DR-01S)

Had a drum machine in the 80s. It sounded like an 80s drum machine. Then my wife bought me one as a present 15 years ago. Complicated and clunky to use and it was all Crash, Boom, Bam. Then I recently heard about this one. First of all, I’m a fan of Boss products. I have their Acoustic Singer Live amp and it is fantastic. Watched some videos and read reviews. My wife gave me a gift card for my birthday, so I sprung for this. It is fabulous. Organic, acoustic sounds (no crash, boom, bang) SUPER EASY user interface, lots of variety, as many as seven instruments at a time (if you count the metronome - you can choose a nice wood block sound). I was able to start using this right away and with quick glances at the very clear manual, I was navigating my way around. I used it for a livestream show the first week I had it. It’s so much fun to play along with, I’ve been playing more. You know how they say “practice with a metronome”? Well, I never could because it was boring. But with this I get a steady beat that is fun to play along with. With the Boss unit holding a rhythm, I’m taking more chances, trying more licks and fills. By adding rhythm parts I have found that some songs that have eluded me, that didn’t (at least with my abilities) come off well on an acoustic guitar, now made sense, sounded full (but not too “canned” or orchestrated). I play a lot of Americana/folk/country and most times a simple cajon rhythm is all I need. I’ve added simple rhythms to songs that I normally just fingerpick. The rhythm partner gives plenty of options to add something subdued and tasteful that doesn’t overwhelm the finger picking. Okay, corny as it sounds, Rhythm Partner is really the right name. It works as a partner, so smoothly and easily, I don’t know if I’ll ever want to play without it. I should add that I bought the Boss FS-6 foot pedal so I could control it hands free. The pedal seems expensive for a dual latching controller, but it’s worth it. The Rhythm Buddy gives you lots of options for pedal settings: instrument trigger, fade out, etc. Once again, just an example of the thought that went into the device. I have the right switch set for start/stop, and the left for tap tempo in case I need a beat on the fly. Just a great rig altogether.

Easy to use with realistic percussion sounds, unlike many computer drum machines that sound a bit manufactured. I plug it into my Bose S1 (actually sits nicely on top of the S1) and use a Boss foot pedal to control the count and fade out feature. Great purchase!

To call this unit a "drum machine" is not to do it justice. It is unlike any drum I've ever seen or used. It is more like a true percussion set. It does have a drum setting, if you so choose. But in addition it has a myriad of acoustical sounds. From conga's to tambourines to shakers/maracas (and more), this unit provides rhythms without the usual drum machine sounds.

At first it didn't seem worth the price. As I started using I have found it outstanding tool for practicing timing. I know feel it was well worth the price, even tho a bit steep!

I play acoustic guitar and sing in Assisted living homes usually to 5 or 6 residents at a time in the homes living rooms. These venues are to small to use any type of amplification so I was looking for a small battery operated drum machine to take with me but the ones I saw were mostly JUNK! I gave up looking and by chance saw the Boss DR-01s on YouTube, it sounded great but I wasn't sure it would sound that good in person. I ordered it anyway and figured I could always return it if I didn't like it. WOW ! this little machine blew me away!!! Sounds GREAT< super simple to operate< I use the Boss foot pedal to control the start and stop function. You can program and store up to 50 songs (I wish Boss would increase that and that they would ad some fills) I have the Beat Buddy as well for larger venues but this is PERFECT for smaller spaces.

If you want a rhythm unit with a built-in speaker this seems to be the only game in town. It has a large variety of sounds and patterns and it’s nice having individual buttons to activate each percussion instrument. This will get the job done if you don’t set your sights too high but there are three negatives: 1. Sound quality: I wasn’t expecting a lot of low end thump given the size of the speaker (and there isn’t), but what surprised me was the lack of treble on the drum sounds. The cymbals and hi hats are muffled and even the snare drums on certain samples sound a bit dull At first I thought my speaker was broken but listening to the tambourine samples they have appropriate high-end clarity. So it’s not the speaker, but rather they seem to be using lo-fi samples that do not have a lot of high-end clarity. 2. Functionality. The three digit LCD display feels dated and does not provide enough user feedback to get around the parameters quickly. As a result you have to remember multiple key presses to change things like the reverb. On the upside there are lots of individual buttons for the main functions, so this is not a dealbreaker. 3. Price. $250 might be worthwhile if the execution was flawless but given the drawbacks it feels over priced. One other minor issue. I use the unit next to a baby grand piano and wish it would go a bit louder. On the upside, and the reason I am keeping mine despite the flaws is that I enjoy playing piano and acoustic guitar with rhythm accompaniment. This gets the job done.

As a latecomer to learning to play an instrument, I have found this to be excellent. It has a loud enough speaker for accompaniment to my playing. It has helped enormously with my timing. It runs on both batteries and mains. Wish it came with a booklet of the sounds, but at least you can print one off the Web.

Surpreendente em recursos. Fácil de usar e muito versátil. Excelente!

Excelente.

A fantastic bit of kit. Very easy to use with intuitive controls allowing you to create patterns for specific songs. Adding a boss fs-6 foot switch makes it even better. Quite expensive but is very well made and sounds great.

The features I like about this device: 1. You can use batteries or power adapters, I haven't tested the battery life, since I don't have batteries in handy. 2. It has a speaker, so it's perfect when playing acoustic guitar without an amplifier. As a beginner, it's always good to practise with a metronome, but with the drum beats, it adds a lot of fun. I also got the pedal to add extra control to this device.